Just The Girl
by hotdamn its cam88
Summary: Arrogant, stubborn Paul has finally imprinted, but has decided that he is not going to comply willingly. He tries to throw off the curse, but finds that with every insult he throws at her, he just falls more in love.
1. Paul

**a/n: helllooo! here is my first attempt on a paul/imprintee story. the first chapter is mainly an introduction on how Paul feels about love and imprinting. it'll be a love/hate kind of story with lots of paul bickering. :) hope you all enjoy, and of course, i don't own anything related to the twilight series (sadly..) enjoy!**

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** Just The Girl  
**

(Paul)

The sun was sizzling, water was cool and beautiful, half naked girls were waiting to be acknowledged. I loved summer.

"Alright, boys! Fine ladies in bikinis are calling our names—let's not keep them waiting!" My high-five was left hanging in the air as Jacob, Quil, and Jared shifted their feet uncomfortably. "What? Am I missing something?" I gave myself a once over. Nope, I hadn't forgot to wear pants today. What gives?

Jacob was the first to answer, the beta dog. "Can't, man…I gotta…go catch up on some stuff."

I knew better. _'Catching up on stuff'_ was code for moping around the house, pining over Bella Swan. Sam told us to just leave him be so that he could heal on his own. There was no use arguing there. I glanced hopefully at Jared and Quil. They quickly avoided my gaze.

"Kim and I actually have a study date tonight…"

"Yeah, and I'm going over to Emily's to pick up Claire later."

My pride began to dampen. "Ok, fine…I'll just go see if Sam or Embry wants to hang out."

They all looked at me regretfully.

"It's Sam and Emily's three year anniversary today…and Embry has a date with that girl in our Physics class, remember? " Jared hesitantly reminded me.

I hated girls. No, let me rephrase that. I hated girlfriends and imprintees! They ruin everything, especially when the boyfriend acts like such a whipped puppy! I knew what they all thought when we phased; they didn't have to say any of it.

_"I can't wait for the day Paul imprints…"_

_ "I feel bad for Paul, he's the only one of us without a girl…"_

Well, I'm sick and tired of being at the end of all those looks of pity. I didn't need a girl to be happy and I sure as hell didn't need their pity.

"That's fine…that's fantastic!" I said with maybe too much emotion. "I have a lot of other stuff to catch up on, so when you guys are done getting whipped by your little girly-friends, don't bother calling me—I'll probably be busy."

Ok, so I knew I have a temper problem. I'll work on that later.

* * *

"Paul, you have been locked up in your room for 3 hours straight! Get up and do something productive!" 

My lazy fingers continued to press the red button on the remote. My eyes drooped with boredom as I prepared myself for another hour of cops chasing robbers.

My mom huffed. "Paul! I am serious! If you don't get off your lazy butt, I will turn to drastic measures!"

I acknowledged her with a callous wave of my hand and mechanically turned my attention back to the T.V. This did not impress her.

"Mom…Mom! What are you _doing_?!" I panicked as she dug up the T.V cord from underneath the pile of my dirty laundry. I finally sat up still, rigid with anticipation as to what her next move was to be. I watched her like an animal watching its pray. What was she looking for?

_Scissors._

"Mother…" I soothed. "Don't do anything—NO!" My heart cut in half when she swiftly ran those scissors through the cord. She smiled in triumph as I stared in horror at the dead screen in front of me. "What do you expect me to do now?!"

She thought for a moment. A smile that scared me crept onto her deceiving face. "Mrs. Lombardi has been looking for a new pool boy—I'll tell her you'll start right away."

"Big Red's pool?" I asked surprised. "No thanks, I'm fine."

"_Andy,_" My mother corrected me. "Is a total sweetheart. He's the captain of the football team."

I groaned into my pillow. "Yeah, and the biggest player in the whole reservation."

"Oh, you're just being silly," She commented. I opened my mouth to argue some more but she held up that one, powerfully threatening finger of hers that was able to silence even the loudest person.

She smiled that annoyingly satisfied smile of hers. "She'll be delighted to have you," She said sweetly before shutting the door behind her.

* * *

I arrived sullenly at the gigantic white mansion in front of me. Mrs. Lombardi opened the door before I could even knock. 

"Hello, Paul! I've been expecting you," She said properly. She led me to the backyard where a large, glistening pool was stationed in the middle of a wide, flowery backyard.

I wasn't wearing a shirt, but I was still incredibly hot…in more than one way, if I do say so myself. I then saw Andy sprint across the field, half naked with a giddy brunette tailing him close by.

"Oh! Paul! Sup?!" He asked, but I could tell he wasn't really interested in my answer.

The brunette giggled uncontrollably behind him. "C'mon, Andy! Let's go before we get caught!"

Andy laughed right along with her at the joke I didn't want to get. He gave me a quick wave before slipping through the fence, into his shiny, red corvette and speeding off. Don't get me wrong, I like Andy and all, but he can just be a real prick sometimes.

I might have been working on the pool for 5 minutes when I heard a girl's voice in the background, coming closer.

"Andy?"

I looked up.

It then hit me. Hit me so hard and with so much force that I knew my worst nightmare had come true.

I had imprinted.


	2. Lena

**a/n: aaahh! I'm so excited about all the positive feedback! that's awesome, you guys rock:) I wasn't going to post the second chapter until next week, but what the hell? hopefully this chapter will do the story justice. enjoy!  
**

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**Just The Girl  
**_  
Chapter 2: Lena_

(Paul)_  
_

I refused to have imprinted. This won't do for me. I _wont_ let this happen!

Yet, I still couldn't take my eyes off the amazingly beautiful angel, eyeing me skeptically as if I were some sort of psycho killer.

It took every ounce of power within me to avert my eyes from her. That lasted a total of 3.5 seconds before I succumbed to my desire of staring stunned at her.

"Ok, uh, pool boy…heh…" She laughed tensely. "You're kinda freaking me."

I wanted to say something cunning back to her, but I found that I had forgotten every word in the English vocabulary. She rolled her eyes impatiently. "Anyway, I'm looking for my boyfriend, Andy…he lives here and I can't find him anywhere. Have you seen him?"

I couldn't say anything. What the hell was wrong with me?! I had to fight this, no matter how hard it was, I just had to. But she was so pretty…No! No! No! This girl is evil! "Uh…um…psh…no." Smooth, Paul...

She looked at me suspiciously for the second time in the last 5 minutes. "Riiiight…okay, I'm going to leave now…"

The speech impediment finally left me. Watching her even slightly attempt to leave hurt my heart and I began to panic. It felt like the ground would swallow me whole if she left. "Wait! I have seen Andy! Not too long ago!" The butterflies were back once she faced me again with that same bored expression.

"Great," She said dryly. "Where is he?"

"He left just a minute ago. Looked like he was in a hurry to get away from something. I can see why now," I said absently. My eyes bulged at the sudden insult that escaped my mouth. She glowered at me, shocked as well.

"Excuse me?"

I began fiddling with the pool net and shrugged carelessly. "Yeah, you know…with the bitchy attitude and all." The insults came to me almost naturally. I knew that the longer I kept this up, the longer she'd stay. But did I want her to stay? Nooo! That would throw off the whole plan…the plan that I had not yet devised, but I will as soon as I'm able to regain self-control.

Her mouth hung slightly open and one of her eyebrow arched so high, it was almost lost in her hairline. "Who are you to judge, pool boy?" She fumed.

"I'm just saying what I see," I said innocently. I wanted to pounce on her and plant little kisses all over—WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

She must have noticed my sudden panic attack because she began laughing at me. Her laugh was like music to my ears and I never wanted it to stop. Then, a sudden, over jovial voice tainted my state of euphoria.

"Babe! Hey! When did you get here?"

An abrupt urge to rip Andy into a million tiny pieces surged through me. A familiar shaking trembled through my body as I tightened my fist. They didn't notice.

"A while ago," She answered tonelessly, still eyeing me warily. "Just having a pleasant conversation with your new pool boy."

"Oh! My bad," Andy said, happily. I hated how damn happy that boy always was. "Babe, this is Paul, Paul this is Lena."

I stuck out my hand and she purposely ignored it, turning towards Andy. My heart was pumping in an inhumanly fast pace—it was driving me crazy.

"So where'd you go?" She asked, suspiciously. Andy's cheerful façade never dampened.

"Oh, I was just out for a quick jog," He said so convincingly, I almost believed him. Lena didn't.

"Right, that explains why you just rolled up in your corvette two seconds ago," She said while freeing herself from his grasp. This made me happy.

"I just had to re-park my car onto the streets cause I was going to wash it later. Honest," He said with such certainty. I saw Lena give in slightly.

"And what about that girl you were with?" She accused. I felt elated, ecstatic, overjoyed. They were going to break up.

Andy chuckled. I had not been expecting that.

"What girl? Lena, I think you're a little jet lagged, I mean…you did just come back from France two days ago," He said while grabbing her hand again. My hand involuntarily twitched.

Lena snatched her hand back, unconvinced.

Andy groaned. That's when he finally took notice of me and smiled brightly. "Ask Paul! He saw me move my car!" He stared at me pleadingly.

Lena turned to face me. Her deep green eyes looked into mine for reassurance. I couldn't turn away; it was like she had some powerful hold on me.

"Ahem…Paul?" Andy coughed.

I hesitantly looked away from Lena's enchanting eyes. I was torn. Telling her the truth would resolve in Andy, and possibly the entire football team, hating me for the rest of my life. Lying to her would be just throwing wood into the fire of their relationship. It was a lose-lose situation. But…by lying to her, I could limit the contact I'd have with her and hope that this imprinting crap would just ware off.

I shut my eyes in deep concentration. "No, there was no girl," I answered quietly. When I opened my eyes, Lena was still looking at me hesitantly, as if she knew I was lying.

"See, babe, I told you. You know you're the only girl for me," He cooed. I had to really concentrate hard to keep myself from socking him right in the jaw.

She gave him a small smile. "Okay."

He softly kissed the top of her head. "C'mon, let's go to the mall. I'll get you something pretty."

"Alright, I'll meet you at the car, I just gotta do something real quick,"

She lightly pecked him on the lips. That kiss nearly made me phase right there. I decided to just get back to my work.

"So…that whole asshole thing…is it like a switch you just turn on and off?"

I didn't notice we were alone until I glanced up at her. Her arms were crossed and she gave me a nasty glare. It scared me how attractive I found it.

I gawked at her for a moment. "As an asshole, I don't really feel obligated to answer that."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Figures…" She said before leaving me alone in the backyard.

As soon as I knew I was out of earshot, I began cursing every living thing I could think of.

"This goes against everything I ever wanted in my life!" I panted, catching my breath. "I have to fix this…there is no way I can imprint on her. I can't tell the guys either, so that means no phasing for a while."

I began pacing back and fourth, constantly running my hand through my dark locks.

"I'll just avoid her—pretend like none of this happened. It shouldn't be too hard," I tried convincing myself, but the hollow, fluttery feeling at the pit of my stomach was telling me otherwise.


	3. The Hole

**a/n: I'm liking all the reviews! It's a good feeling, knowing that people actually read what you write. I tried really hard to keep Paul in character, but it's difficult, seeing as the only thing we really know about him is that he has a bad temper...and is a werewolf. Well, I hope you guys like this chapter! **

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**Just The Girl**

_Chapter 3: The Hole_

(Paul)

I think I would have preferred having my fingers and toes slowly cut off by a dull knife rather than having to go through the pure torture that was the last 4 days.

Who would have thought that Mrs. Lombardi's definition of pool boy also included being a garden boy? She's been having me pick weeds, plant flowers, and trim bushes for hours under the scathing sun. But all of that was a joyride compared to my real problem.

The first day, I went to work prepared. I had the perfect plan devised on how to avoid Lena if we were ever to butt heads again. I spent a majority of my time replaying different possible scenarios that could potentially occur. I would slyly tell her that we were to never see each other again, and then I would leave with a dramatic exit and she would run after me with tears glistening in her sad, green eyes, telling me not to go. Mrs. Lombardi would then yell at me to go home before I could get to the good part.

The second day was another bust. I tried to convince myself that it was better that we didn't see each other, but I knew I was lying to myself. My heart yearned to see her again and I hated it. I wanted to spit at those feelings.

By the third day, I had lost all hope of running into her. I almost wet my pants with excitement when I spotted her walking gracefully across the lawn, hand in hand with Andy. There was a slight twinge of jealousy that sparked within me, but it was quickly overpowered by the sudden urge to jump up and down like a child on Christmas. The whole encounter took all of 5 seconds, but it was my favorite 5 seconds of the day…or maybe the week.

I mentally kicked myself on the fourth day to maintain whatever speck of self-dignity I had left within me. The very meaning of control evaporated when I saw her approach me, alone, in one of Andy's shirt. My usual, tough exterior felt unusually weak as she passed me by. I shut my eyes tight, imprinting her sweet, vanilla scent into my memory. When I opened my eyes, she was gone.

My hands began to tremble. My whole body was vibrating as I began grinding my teeth. Then, a sudden loud crunching sound knocked some of the fury out of me. I had crushed the pool filter. Beads of sweat coated my forehead as I dumped the broken pieces into the trash. Something had to be done about this.

* * *

When I arrived home, I was surprised to see Jacob, Quil, Embry and Jared waiting for me on my tiny porch. I was even more shocked to see the porch still in one piece as they all stood up to acknowledge me. 

I tried to pretend that I hadn't seen them and make a quick break for the back door. It didn't work so well.

"C'mon, Paul, don't be like that," Jared said as he blocked my only way of escaping.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed. I didn't feel like having a heart to heart with them at the moment. Them finding out about me imprinting would completely humiliate me!

I tried to play it cool. "What's up, guys?"

"We know we've all been kind of caught up in our own thing lately, and it's not fair to you or any of the pack," Jacob started. "So we decided to just have kind of a guys night. Just to hang out…maybe phase and go leech hunting."

They all grinned at the idea but I immediately froze at the thought of phasing. They would find out _everything_. Andy, Lena, the uninvited, little butterflies living in my stomach. I couldn't let that happen.

"Thanks, guys. That's uh…real nice and all, but I can't. I'm busy," I quickly lied. I guess my plans on moping around the house all day would have to be rescheduled.

"Man, you're not still biter about that day we all couldn't hang out are you?" Quil moaned. This brought back bad memories and I glared at him, but quickly regained my composure. The sooner I can get them to leave, the better.

"No, no, I'm over that. That was a really stupid thing of me to get all worked up about," I said. They all looked at me like I was crazy. I realized that I never apologize or give reason to my bad temper. "I mean…don't let that happen again!"

The confused look in their eyes never disappeared. I was never really good at keeping my emotions locked in. I always told it like how it was. Keeping a secret was hard.

"Right…so are you down for tonight or what?" Embry asked, carefully.

"Can't. I really do have to do something."

Jacob looked at me suspiciously. "What do you have to do?"

"Well…you know…I uh…" I racked my brain for any good excuse. I then spotted my truck, filled with pool/gardening supplies. "I have to go to the pool shop to pick up a new filter for the Lombardi's. I accidentally crushed theirs."

Jared was the first to grin. "Same old Paul. Too strong for his own good."

"Heh…yeah," I smiled nervously back at him. "Yeah, so I should be going."

I quickly backtracked to my car before they could further their suspicions.

I entered my truck and they were still eyeing me with that same curiosity, like I was lying. I started my truck and began to pull out. Their attempt to leave was weak, so I just gave up and started heading for Barney's Pool Supply store.

* * *

The array of different tools and equipment bored me and it wasn't enough to keep my mind off of Lena. 

"Paul!"

I twisted my head and saw Seth Clearwater trying to wave at me while carrying an armful of cleaning supplies.

"Hey, Seth," I greeted him. "Wow, you're really beginning to look like one of us."

He smiled modestly. Despite his huge size, Seth's smile gave away his age completely. It was so raw and young that you'd instantly know he was only 15.

"So what's up? What brings you here?" He asked. I answered by lifting the pool filter in my hand. "Oh, cool! So you're working on pools too? Who'd you get stuck with?"

I tried to keep it simple, not wanting to give away too much of the unpleasant situation I was in. "The Lombardi's. My mom kind of made me," I said with bitterness.

Seth wrinkled his nose. "I hear ya. I work for the Sullivan's. They're an uptight bunch. The mom is _insane_. I swear, she watches me like a hawk!"

I laughed at his little rant; that's when a brilliant idea popped into my head. "Oh, well, if they're too mean, we could…you know, switch or something. If you want…"

Seth's eyebrows rose in suspicion. What was it with people giving me funny looks today? "Well…are we allowed to?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, why not? I think Mrs. Lombardi is sick of me anyway."

"Right, right. I mean, yeah, for sure…if you're up for it though. She's no joke, dude," He warned and I laughed.

"Did you forget who you're talking to?"

Seth laughed as well. "Yeah, you're right. So, I guess I'll just give her a call tonight and tell her. Good luck with her…seriously."

"Thanks," I nodded as we went our separate way.

I knew this was for the best. By switching houses with Seth, I won't ever have to see Lena again. I _had_ to believe that this was the right decision, but I couldn't help feeling sad. It took every muscle in my body to keep from chasing after Seth and telling him that the deal was off. Plus, I didn't have enough brainpower within me to make up another excuse for my peculiar behavior.

"This is for the best," I said aloud, hoping that I would believe it more if I actually spoke the words.

* * *

I sluggishly dragged my dead legs up the steep steps of the Sullivan's house. It was just as big as Andy's, but more polished looking. 

I groaned as I rang the doorbell. Cleaning pools was the last thing I wanted to do, but after meeting Mrs. Sullivan, I quickly changed my mind. Being bossed around by an overzealous, tiny woman was the last thing I wanted to do.

After the first day, I realized that Mrs. Sullivan liked me more than I had expected. She gave me a generous tip and smiled warmly at me before I left. The second time I went back to her house, she didn't even bother watching my every move.

She trotted across the lawn in a huge, fancy hat and told me she was going to the beach with some girlfriends to soak up the sun.

She looked thoughtfully at me and added, "It's a hot day. If you want, you can take a dip in the pool before working." And with that, she left.

I considered her offer. It _was_ an insanely hot day and a swim did sound good. What the hell? I deserved it.

I jumped into the crisp, cool pool and just about melted. The water felt refreshing against my burning hot skin and like a sponge, I wanted to soak it all in.

A loud cough disturbed my thoughts. As I resurfaced, I nearly collapsed back into the water. Lena was standing before me just as surprised as I was. We stared at each other like that for a while until she finally turned her attention to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" She asked the ground.

Looking at her knocked the wind from me. I shook my head fiercely, angry that my plan had backfired. I had to close my mind to all pleasant thoughts of her. She was my enemy. "I work here," I said obviously. A scowl formed on her precious face.

"Pool boys don't get pool privileges," She said.

I finally smiled. She wanted to play _that_ game. "Not according to your mom."

Her glare intensified as I smiled wider at the beauty emitting from every inch of her body. She must have noticed. I exited the pool and noticed her cheeks turn a light pink color as she stared at her feet.

"I'm sorry, does this bother you?"

She whipped her head up so quickly, she must have gotten a whiplash. " What?! Wh-why would you think this would bother me?" She pointed at my bare chest. "I-I don't care. I have a boyfriend, remember?"

I couldn't help but throw my head back in laughter. Her eyes narrowed. I liked this game. "I meant, me swimming in your pool," I clarified.

Her almond shaped eyes widened as she blushed harder. "I knew that…"

"Lena-bear!"

We both turned our heads mechanically to the distant voice. It was Andy.

"Hey," She said quietly, still embarrassed. He threw his hand over her shoulder.

Andy then stared at me. "Hey, Paul, I heard you were working here now." I nodded my response and he turned his attention back to Lena. "So you ready to head to the movies?"

"Yeah, just let me run up and get a jacket," She said before heading back into the house.

It wasn't safe for Andy and I to be alone like that, I could have easily phased and rip his cheating heart in half.

"Oh, by the way, I never thanked you for helping me out the other day…with that girl and everything. You know how it is," He grinned mischievously.

My face was like a stone. How I wanted to pounce on him so badly.

"Actually, Lena has this insanely hot friend, and since I obviously can't have her, I could hook it up for you," He winked.

I stared at him incredulously. "Nah, I'm okay. Thanks."

"Okay for what?" A light, feminine voice chimed in. Andy wrapped his arms over Lena's shoulders. Their lovey dovey pose was mocking me, taunting me with their every touch.

"I was just saying how I think Paul and your friend from the coffee house would make a good couple. Don't you think so, babe?"

I couldn't tell from her expression if she was happy or mad about the idea. "Ooh, I don't know, they don't really seem like each other's type," She finally evaluated. Did I detect a hint of jealousy in her voice? Or was that just my own wishful thinking?

I decided to wager my chances. "Actually, that sounds like fun. I'm game."

Her expression didn't even flinch, but Andy's couldn't have been more ecstatic.

"Great! So I'll call you about the details later. We gotta run, I'll catch ya later," He said before exiting.

I stared after them, blinking. The hole I was digging myself seemed to have gotten deeper. Way, _way _deeper.


	4. The Party

**a/n: Oh man! i am soo sorry for the super late update. i just moved to a new house and recently just got my internet back up, plus i just finished up my leah story too! reviews are LOVED. :) **

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**Just The Girl**

_Chapter 3: The Party _

Right when I walked through the giant French doors of Andy's house, I immediately wanted to walk right back out. The house was packed with over 60 people, half of whom I didn't even recognize.

Girls wearing skimpy outfits lounged around the house, flipping their hair and batting their fake eyelashes. Loud cheers could be heard from the football team as they continuously smashed beer cans against their foreheads.

I scanned the room for a familiar face, and was thankful, for the first time, when I spotted Leah in the kitchen, sipping a drink out of a plastic red cup.

"Leah!" I shouted over the loud music bumping from the expensive sound system. She put her cup down and raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows. Her cheeks were a fainted pink color, eyes glossy.

"Paul?" She finally asked. "What are you doing here?"

I glanced around the room at my inebriated classmates and asked myself the same question. What _was_ I doing here? "You know…I'm not really sure. How about you?"

She wrinkled her nose. "It's sort of a favor for my friend. If I had it my way, I wouldn't be here right now."

I nodded just as a girl in a short skirt with makeup caked on her face collapsed on me. I held her limp body awkwardly as Leah began laughing.

"You gotta love drunk people," She toasted as she took another sip of her drink.

The girl pushed herself away from me and tried balancing on her own two feet. Her legs began to wobble and she grabbed onto my arm to avoid falling on the floor.

I stared at her uncomfortably as she began giggling hysterically.

"I'm sorry," She breathed on me. She was so close to my face, I could feel my eyes water from the liquor emitting from her breath.

"Um…it's fine," I said, suppressing the urge to run away. Her grip on my arm was tight and I didn't want to hurt her. I looked around the room helplessly for someone to save me from this mess.

"Thanks for saving my life…you're kinda cuttteee, you know, there's a bedroom upstairs that's empty…we could—"

All background noise disappeared once I spotted Lena. It was as if the whole room stopped and everyone in it disappeared except for her. I watched numbly as she threw her head back and laughed at something her friend had said. How badly I wanted to be the person that makes her laugh. I continued to gawk at her perfection—the tight tube top hugging her body, showing off her perfect curves, the little half moon shape her eyes made when she smiled so big, the softness of her honey brown skin that I so desperately wanted to touch…

My breaths came in shallow gasps as her eyes met mine. It was pure torture staring at something you knew you couldn't have. Her green eyes searched mine confusedly. The intensity of her gaze scared me. I was succumbed to her power.

I suddenly felt the weight of the girl leave me and, unwillingly, I turned away from Lena.

"Sarah, you're such a tease," Andy joked as he held onto Sarah, making sure she didn't fall.

"Andy! I'm having sooooo much fun at your party! This is the best party everrrr!" She squealed as she threw herself on him.

"Ahem…"

Andy, Leah, Sarah, and I turned our heads mechanically towards the cough. Lena's arms were folded tightly against her chest as she gave Sarah a death glare. Andy immediately threw her off of him and plastered a smirk on his face.

"Hey, babe. Having fun?" He said, pulling her into his arms. She made a disapproving face but made no initiative to move.

"Sarah?" Lena said pleasantly. Sarah perked up at the sound of her name. "Go away. Now."

There was so much acid in her voice, Sarah couldn't respond. She huffed and stuck her nose up in the air as she sauntered off.

Andy smiled and leaned down to peck her on the lips, but she sourly turned away.

I almost forgot that Leah was even at the party until she piped up. "Len, where's this guy you wanted me to meet? I really want to leave…"

Andy answered for her. "He's right here! Paul, remember that girl I was talking about?" He winked and nodded towards Leah. Leah and I stared at each other and then broke out into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Lena finally asked.

"Uh…it's_Paul_!" Leah said obviously. Lena quirked an eyebrow, still not getting the joke.

"Okay, so I take it that's a no?" Andy asked.

"That's a hell no," I quickly replied, letting the last of my laughter fall. The sound of breaking glass echoed across the house.

"Shit," Andy said as he raced after the sound.

Lena stood awkwardly, wrapping herself in her arms. I desperately wanted to close the small gap between us, but restrained myself. In the distance, I could see Andy flirting with Sarah again and my blood boiled.

"What's up with you?"

"Why are you with him?" I asked before I could stop myself.

She had not been expecting that question and I immediately regretted bringing it up.

"He's nice," She replied smartly and I rolled my eyes. "Why do you care so much anyway?"

I laughed bitterly. A sudden wave of hurt and anger shredded through my body. "I don't. I just have a thing against girlfriends."

Her porcelain face exuded nothing but confusion. "What?"

I continued. "All they do is make everything worse! You take up all of their time so they can't hang out with friends anymore, you—you make up stupid excuses to hang out with each other like 'study dates' when you know you guys aren't even going to study! You watch mushy movies together and turn good guys into such saps! You find any excuse to hold each other and kiss and be all lovey-dovey…girlfriends _ruin_ guys…and it makes me sick"

"That's a lot of big talk from a guy who doesn't even _have_ someone to hold or love," She spat. Her eyes were angry slits.

"You're wrong," I said, gnashing my teeth together.

"You know it too! You rag on other people's relationship because you don't have one! You're like a bitter old man, unable to accept the happiness of other people!"

My fists curled into balls at my side and an uncontrollable tremor erupted through me. "No!"

I couldn't take it anymore. Listening to her speak the words was like realizing it all for the first time. She was right, I wanted that someone to hold and love…I wanted _her_ and it killed me to admit it.

A burning hot hand mashed with my own. "Paul, let's go outside…get some fresh air." Leah suggested as she urgently tugged on my arm.

Lena's intense stare was still burning through mine.

"Whatever," She muttered quietly. She swiftly turned around and began walking away. The distance between us was growing bigger. With each step she took away from me, I felt my heart sink lower into the pit of my stomach. How could I have let this go so far?

Leah gave another impatient yank at my arm. I reluctantly tore my eyes away from her and followed Leah outside.

The night air was cool and crisp against my hot skin. I kicked around a stray rock on the ground, cowardly avoiding Leah's gaze.

"What the _hell_ was that all about?" Leah gasped as soon as she made sure we were out of earshot. "I mean I know you're a dick and everything, but_seriously_, Paul! What's up with you?"

Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger. I did not need this right now.

"Drop it, Leah," I growled.

I could feel her eyes on me, contemplating. "She's right, isn't she?"

I opened my eyes. A flash of worry soiled my emotionless mask. Leah's eyes were as big as saucers.

Leah clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh. My. God."

Her astonished expression frightened me. "What?"

"You…you…" She began. Each second seemed to drag on. The anticipation building up within me felt like it was about to combust any moment. "Do you…_like_ her?"

My face betrayed every emotion I've kept locked up inside me. Still, I tried to play it cool. "No. What makes you think that?"

"Oh My Gosh!" Leah shrieked again. This large amount of worry was not healthy.

"What?!" I demanded.

"You've_imprinted_ on her!!" She accused.

I racked my brain frantically for something intelligible to say, but came up with nothing. This wasn't happening! Leah looked like she was about to burst.

"When did this happen? Do the guys know? I bet they all know. How come you didn't tell me?! I'm as much part of the pack as the rest of them!" She punched my arm but the questions continued to spill. "What are you going to do about it? Why were you such an ass to her?! What about Andy?! What are you going to DO?! Does she like you back? Does she know—"

"LEAH! I. DON'T. KNOW." I shouted. Leah didn't flinch or pout like most girls would have. She was not affected by it at all. Sometimes, I don't think I give Leah enough credit—she's pretty ballsy.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "The guys don't know."

She stared at me awestruck. "They don't know? How is that possible?"

"I've been kind of avoiding phasing. I know they'll freak out, that's why you can't tell any of them! Not until I get this all fixed!"

"I won't," She promised. I liked Leah very much when she was like this. The bitter old hag in her wasn't as pleasant, but when she acted like an actual human being, it was quiet nice. "And what do you mean by 'fix this'? This isn't something you can _fix_, Paul."

The stubborn side of me took over. "Well, I can try. This isn't working out so well for me."

Leah rolled her eyes but decided against arguing. "C'mon, let's go. We can discuss this later when you're not so hot-headed. Oh, scratch that…that's never." She teased.

"You're one to talk, Leah," I countered.

She feigned hurt. "We're so misunderstood."

I pulled her into a tight brotherly (sisterly?) hug as we made our way out of the watchful eye of Andy's mansion. I decided that it was nice to finally let someone in on my agony, even if it was Leah.


	5. The Blackout

**a/n: so...I wrote like...3 different versions of this chapter until finally settling with this one. Sorry for the late update! I've been struggling with a severe case of writers block. I want to give out a thanks for the awesome people who have read this story and favorited/alerted/reviewed it! You guys rock, and I promise that I'll try to have the next chapter up ASAP. Toodles:) **

* * *

**Just The Girl**

_Chapter 5: The Black Out_

(Paul)

My long legs dangled callously over the too small, fading green couch. The low ramblings from the T.V were ignored. Time alone with my thoughts were precious and I decided to take advantage of this valuable moment.

A loopy grin would appear on my face whenever Lena flickered across my thoughts, followed by an irritated scowl, scolding myself for allowing such unnecessary thoughts to even cross my mind. 

"Oh! Paul, you're still here?" My mother's soft voice broke the rare silence in my head. I allowed my head to lean towards my chest in an obvious nod. "I thought you'd be at the bonfire with the rest of the kids. I drove past there and it was jam-packed with people from your school." 

My initial thought was whether or not Lena was there, but I quickly banished the thought from my curiosity. My mom was staring at me warily, waiting for a sign of acknowledgment. I stared blankly at her and shrugged. 

"You know, it's not polite to answer with only face expressions," She chastised. 

I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head teasingly. That's when the pillow came in contact with my face. 

I chuckled lightly as I rested my elbows on the flowery cushion. "Nah, it looks like it's about to rain. Those people down there are crazy," I said, earning a grin from my mother. 

"Aren't Quil, Embry, Jared and Jacob down there?" 

"I never said my friends weren't crazy," I replied naturally. 

"Well, in that case," my mother began, hopeful. "Mrs. Sullivan called. She wanted to know if you were available to do some garden work." 

"Garden work?" I asked, incredulous. "It's like…5pm! Nobody does garden work this late!" 

My mom's honey brown eyes were warm, yet demanding. "It was just a favor she was asking. It's not like you have anything else better to do." 

I let out an audible groan, as the evil woman, also known as my mother, smiled victoriously. 

"I'll let her know you're on your way," She said sweetly, dismissing the vivid shots of angry glares I threw at her.

* * *

"Stupid rich people…can't even do their own damn gardening," I cursed under my breath as I reluctantly trudged up the steep steps leading to the enormous mansion before me. I could hear the chiming of the doorbell sing their song from inside, but no answer. 

I twirled on my heels, rubbing my too large hands together, and cursing the cold weather. "Rich people and all their money…can't even answer the damn door. Maybe they should buy a clue with all their stupid—"

"Ahem…"

My head snapped up at the sound of the familiar sound that starred in all my dreams. 

Lena was leaning lazily against the door, an amused expression placed on her beautiful face. Her black, dance sweats hung loosely on her waist; her white wife beater was teasing, exposing little of the soft skin between her belly and her hips—she was hot. 

My heart thumped harder as her trademark smirk found its way to her luscious lips. "So…you gonna come in, or would you rather stay out here and continue insulting the rich?" 

I found myself smirking as well. "The rich? Don't you mean _your kind_?"

The corners of her lips drooped downwards. Her lower lip puckered out slightly in a very innate, sexy pout. "I believe you know where the garden is," she said hotly. She hastily retreated to the sanctuary of her house, not waiting to hear my response. 

A smile instantly formed on my lips as I picked up my tools and headed into the house after her. Lena was lounging on a kitchen stool, picking at a box of Teddy Grams. 

I took my time walking across the kitchen, taking in all that was Lena before having to succumb to the needy plants that awaited me in the backyard. 

"Aren't you supposed to be at the bonfire?" I asked casually as I slowly passed a jar of Gummy Bears sitting on the counter. 

Lena continued to browse through the box of Teddy grams, giving no initiative to having heard my question. "Aren't you supposed to be fixing the garden?" 

I bit down hard on my tongue, preventing me from saying something I knew I'd only regret later. I stomped my way to the massive backyard and set down to work, tugging on the weeds with more force than necessary. 

I struggled hard to clear my mind of Lena, but I knew that the unrealistic task was doomed to fail. I tried reasoning with myself, but found that impossible as well. I loathed this girl…but loved her at the same time. It just didn't make sense. 

Something wet hit the top of my head, tarnishing my train of thought. I stared up at the dark sky and was soon pelted with a dozen more pesky raindrops.

"Fantastic…" I mumbled, as I carried on with the yard work. A little rain didn't scare me. My stubbornness quickly dissolved, as "a little rain" became an angry mob. I was soaking wet by the time I gave into my wishes and ran into the refuge of the warm house. 

My muscles relaxed as I saw that Lena was no longer in the kitchen, or the living room. The faint drumming of the shower gave away her whereabouts.

I shut my eyes and listened to the angry storm wreck havoc. I guess it wouldn't hurt to sit for a while before embarking on the long, journey home. 

As if on cue, right when my butt touched the kitchen stool, all the lights gave out. My eyes adjusted to the dark immediately, as a loud yelp echoed from upstairs, followed by an audible thump. 

All my sense reacted immediately. My legs couldn't move any faster as I raced upstairs, in the dark, toward Lena. 

My ears zoomed in on her low whimpers, and my nose followed her scent, leading me to what I assumed to be her bathroom. 

"Lena! Are you okay?" I asked, an exaggerated amount of worry overpowering me.

I could hear the clumsy sound of feet trying to find their way to the door. A short click, and the door opened, revealing a very wet, semi-naked Lena. Her hair was saturated with water as she clung on to the towel wrapped around her tighter at the sight of me.

I had to practice breathing in an even pace before speaking again. "Are you alright? I heard a thump." 

Even in the darkness, I could see the reluctance plastered on her face. "I fell," She said evenly, staring down at the small pool of blood oozing from her foot, making its way onto the floor. 

The storm howled a loud warning, making Lena jump 5ft in the air. She absently grabbed onto my arm. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks as the butterflies flew wildly around my stomach. 

"Sorry," She mumbled, embarrassed, but unwilling to let go of my arm. "The dark kind of…freaks me out."

It took me a few minutes to find my voice. "Th-that's okay," I began, swallowing the large lump that formed in my throat. "Can you walk?" 

She nodded. Her hand slowly left my arm, leaving a tingly feeling where her hand touched. "I think…I should get dressed." 

"Okay," I breathed and turned to go downstairs. Her hand was back on my arm in an instant. 

I could see her soft face shift in reluctance as she struggled with what she wanted to say. "Okay, here's the deal. I've had this fear of the dark since as far as I can remember," She admitted shamefully. 

"So what do you want me to do?" I asked, confused, keeping my eyes strictly on her face and not the half-naked part below. 

"Can you just," She was struggling again. "Keep me company?"

It was a good thing she couldn't see the color rush to my face, or the trembling of my hands in the dark. I gulped harder and nodded. 

"Okay," She sighed in relief. Her hand made its way slowly down my arm and intertwined with my large hand. Our hands fit perfectly together, like two pieces of a puzzle. "Your hand…it's so hot!" 

I shrugged nonchalantly, unable to think up of a good explanation at the moment. I was grateful that she didn't feel the need to pry any further. She led me to her room and then carefully dropped my hand. My hand felt oddly incomplete without the warmth of her hand nurturing it. I let the little disappointment in me subside.

Lena walked cautiously toward a drawer. Her large amount of paranoia made me chuckle. She lit a couple of candles, emitting the room with a low glow of light. She then carefully turned back to me, biting her bottom lip. 

"Turn around," She ordered, and then added a sweet, "Please?" at the end. 

I did as I was told and faced the wall. I heard the towel drop and quickly froze in place, my thoughts traveling at 100mph. 

"You okay back there?" She asked nervously. "You're breathing kind of hard." 

"F-fine," I answered as calmly as I could. Each second passing by seemed endless. I began counting to 100…then 200…300…

"Okay, I'm done," She said softly. It took me a while to find the strength in my feet, but I finally turned around. She was in a simple boxer short and sweater—still, it was enough to take my breath away. 

"Y-you look nice," I said lamely. She laughed.

We both scrounged around her huge bedroom for more candles and came up lucky with three more. We brought them all downstairs and set them on the kitchen where we both sat, leaving an abnormally large gap between us. The atmosphere set off a romantic aroma, but the situation was anything but. 

I glanced around the room awkwardly, desperately trying to lessen the uncomfortable environment. My eyes stumbled upon the bright, heart shaped candles, providing our only light. Those may be a safe topic. "Nice candles," I commented. 

Her eyes flickered over toward the candles, expression blank. "Thanks…Andy gave them to me." 

"Oh…" I said. She suddenly got up from her chair and moved swiftly toward the kitchen cabinets, pulling out a jar of Nutella. She returned to her seat, scooting a bit closer to me, and handed me a spoon. I took it cautiously and watched as she scooped out a large spoonful of peanut butter and chocolate goodness onto her spoon, and placed it in her mouth. 

"It's good," She assured me. That was all the convincing I needed before my own spoon found its way into the tiny jar. Nutella had never tasted so good before—but I think it had little to do with the actual product, and more of my beautiful company. The ice had broken over a jar of Nutella. The conversations flowed freely from our mouths, as easy as breathing. 

"So does your mom frequently leave you alone at the house with strange men working on your garden?" 

Lena laughed, the sound sent chills down my spine, creating a smile on my lips. "Please," She scoffed, waving her spoon in the air. "I could run around the house naked, and on fire for that matter, and she still wouldn't even notice." 

"Is that why you're not at the Bonfire?" I asked, scooping myself another spoonful of Nutella. "I mean, isn't Andy throwing it?" 

She quirked an eyebrow and thought for a moment. "I doubt they're still at the bonfire. They're probably at Andy's getting drunk off their asses right now, as usual." 

"You…don't like getting drunk?" I inquired, trying to read through her carefully masked expression. 

She smirked. "It's not that…I just don't like Andy when he's drunk. He's so—" She never finished. She instead rolled her eyes and dug her spoon fiercely into the Nutella. "I don't even know why I'm explaining this to you." 

Ouch. She saw the resented expression on my face and hesitated for a moment. 

"I didn't mean it like that, I just meant…that I don't really know you. Please don't be mad." 

Too late. My arms folded tightly across my chest. "But you knew me enough to beg me to keep you company during the black out?" 

She was surprised by the acid that leaked in my voice. "I did not _beg_ you to do anything!" 

"Right," I scowled. "Why isn't Prince Andy here to save you? It seems more fitting seeing as you're a total princess!" I laughed bitterly as awareness dawned on me. "And I'm the lowly servant…great." 

"What?" She gasped. "What is it with you and this grudge against Andy? What has he ever done to you!" She was up in my face, staring at me with accusing eyes. 

I got up as well, easily towering over her small frame. "Why don't you try asking yourself that same question? We both know why you didn't go to that bonfire today—you're hiding from the truth!" 

Angry tears formed in her sharp green eyes. "Why do you care so much!" She bellowed, standing firm under my fierce gaze. 

We glared at each other like that for a few endless seconds. Her eyes were searching mine, luring me in. Her soft uneven breaths paralleled my own. She was so close…I caved. Before I knew it, my lips crashed down on hers.

My heart exploded with emotion as her lips responded willingly over mine. I could feel the blood rush from my head, making me slightly dizzy. The softness of her lip, the warmth of her kiss, was better than anything I have ever experienced in my chaotic life. Her smooth hands made its way up to my hair, as mine wound around her waist protectively. 

"Lena, Honey? We're home!" Mrs. Sullivan called from outside. 

We both froze in mid-embrace. Her hands quickly unlatched itself from my hair, as mine reluctantly slithered away from her waist. She cupped her face with both of her hands, ashamed.

"We shouldn't have done that…" She said quietly. 

Blow number two. This one was much worse. 

I pulled myself away from her. My body protested as the cold quickly moved in, filling the void that was once warm with her touch. My breath retreated to a more even pace. 

"I should go," I whispered in the dark, unable to read her expression. 

"Oh, dear!" Mrs. Sullivan gasped, as she entered the house. "If I knew there was a blackout, I would have stayed out later! I know how much you love sulking in the dark." 

Lena's silent groan was the last thing I heard before I rushed out the door, into the open realm of fresh air where I could be free with my thoughts. The angry rain matched my emotions, as I embraced it with open arms. 

"Paul! Wait!" I heard her cry. My feet continued to move forward reluctantly in a quicker pace. 

"Paul! Please!" She whined. I turned my head slightly to see her coming after me, rain glistening down her pained face. 

I bit down hard on my lower lip and allowed myself one last glance at her before running toward the shelter of the forest, exploding into a mass of fur.


End file.
